Students Sweeping for Bugs

This morning we were visited by Ecole Saint Augustin from North Rustico, PEI. We left the staff house at Dalvay and drove to a separate section of Prince Edward Island National Park, Cavendish, where we set up a few learning stations at Cavendish Grove. We had a few things for the kids to do that morning. At one station we had the insect boxes out and Graham was there to tell the kids about interesting insect facts. Another station included a tour of the BIOBus and a small tutorial of how to use a microscope, lead by Katelyn, and I handled the sweep net station. At my station I took children and teachers out to a nearby field and taught them how to properly sweep a field of tall grass. You would be surprised at how many insects one could find just by sweeping a net over tall grass. We caught ichneumonid wasps, lady bugs, damsel flies, moths, click beetles, bees, spiders, ants, leaf hoppers, grass hoppers, caterpillars, and more flies then you could count. The students were more than thrilled when I turned out their nets and showed them what they caught.

Martin Zlatkin showing the children from Ecole Saint Augustin the insects they caught at Cavendish Grove, Prince Edward Island National Park.

Of course the children were thrilled but I was equally excited because I got to show of all my insect knowledge! The children were surprised to find out that lady bugs are beetles which gave me a chance to give the kids a small taxonomy lesson. The click beetles were definitely the most popular catch of the day. Click beetles are aptly named because they can click! When click beetles are turned upside down they can right themselves using a “click mechanism.” This mechanism involves a peg that pops out of a peghold on the underside of the prothorax. This pop makes a loud “click” sound and tosses the beetle in to the air. This is not only an escape mechanism but a scare tactic because predators don’t expect the loud click. I like to think I inspired a few new biologists today.

Collecting in Anne of Green Gable’s Backyard

Collecting in Anne of Green Gable’s Backyard

This week we find ourselves exploring Canada’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island. Though PEI may lack the geographic space present in other provinces, it has treated us to some of the most beautiful views and charismatic culture thus far on our journey. The infamous red soil was ubiquitous as we toured the island; the mud contrasted with green cropped plots inland, rust coloured sand lined the shores, and red tinged sedimentary rocks were dominant everywhere. PEI National Park further spoiled us; we were given the opportunity to sleep in one of the Park’s staff houses for the duration of our stay, giving us far more space than we were accustomed to.

A spittle bug within its protective shelter at Dalvay Pond in PEI National Park.

We started the today by walking to Dalvay Pond to pick up two bottle traps we had set the previous night. It is a small body of water lined with reeds, coniferous trees, and low lying knobby shrubs. Waterlogged sticks rose from the surface at opposite edges of the pond; one of these dams was home to a beaver that we saw paddling slowly away, skeptical of us as we walked near. Insects were abundant in our traps, including damselfly nymphs, boatmen and many diving beetles. We were surprised to find that large bullfrog tadpoles and small fish were also attracted to the glow of the nocturnal trap. After removing the unintended vertebrates from the trap we strode through the long grasses surrounding the pond. I noticed saliva-like clumps of bubbles adhered to some blades of grass. These bubble shelters are the protective defenses of Spittle Bugs, Hemipterans that position themselves upside down, with their beak inserted into the vegetation, consuming the sugars of the leaf. They produce bubbles from their posterior end and allow them to harden with chemicals. By moving their legs they become submerged in the sticky bubbles, providing a barrier between them and the outside world.

Martin Zlatkin, Katelyn Lutes, and Graham Ansell with their collecting gear at the internationally known Anne of Green Gables house in PEI National Park.

The other half of the day was spent hand collecting at the Haunted Wood. This location is surrounded by Canadian heritage; adjacent to this wood stands the fabled house of Anne of Green Gables. This house was created and used in recreations of L.M. Montgomery’s classic tales of this internationally famous red headed orphan girl. Insects surrounding the house told a story of a more recent time, as newly emerged damselflies hovered midair, isopods scurried under decaying bark and bumble bees noisily searched for pollen. I caught a large Ichneumonid wasp; jet black and showing impressive extension with a long ovipositor. The ovipositor resembles a long stinger, but is actually used to insert and hide their eggs within a substrate, hiding their young from potential predators.